old from abuse at the youth level.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. Jerick McKinnon Vikings Jersey . - The NFLs officiating chief has cleared Broncos receiver Wes Welker
of any wrongdoing for his hit that knocked Patriots cornerback
Aqib Talib out of Sundays AFC Championship.
"It was a legal hit," Vice-President of Officiating Dean Blandino said
on the NFL Network on Wednesday night.
On Monday, New England coach Bill Belichick blasted Welker for the hit,
calling it "one of the worst plays" hed seen in nearly four decades of
coaching. Without mentioning his former player by name, Belichick said
it "was a deliberate play by the receiver to take out Aqib, no attempt
to get open." He added, "Ill let the league handle the discipline on
that play."
There will be no discipline for Welker; Blandino said there was simply
no infraction of the rules.
Welker, coming from the right, collided with Talib, who was running from
the left to stay with his receiver, a split-second before
Peyton Mannings pass went off the hands of receiver Demaryius Thomas a
few yards away in the first quarter Sunday. No flag was thrown.
Talib left the game with a knee injury and didnt return, and Manning
threw for 400 yards in Denvers 26-16 win that sent the top-seeded
Broncos to the Super Bowl.
"The first potential foul would be for offensive pass interference; a
receiver cant block downfield before the ball is touched, so the timing
is important," Blandino said on his weekly appearance on the NFL
Network. He noted that as "contact occurs, the ball is touched almost
simultaneously. We dont have a foul for pass interference."
"The other thing, is it unnecessary roughness? Under the current rules
it isnt," Blandino said. "Its not late; Talib wasnt out of the play."
Given that an injury occurred, Blandino said he expects the leagues
competition committee to examine the play in the off-season "and
determine if there needs to be a change. But under the current rules,
this is a legal play."
Welker, who had a cool relationship with Belichick before leaving New
England as a free agent last off-season, hasnt been available for
comment this week as the Broncos wont practice until Thursday.
But after the game, Welker said, "it was one of those plays where its
kind of a rub play and I was trying to get him to go over the top, and I
think he was thinking the same thing and wanted to come underneath and
we just kind of collided. ... It wasnt a deal where I was trying to hit
him or anything like that."
Broncos coach John Fox responded to Belichicks stinging criticism on
Monday by saying Welker is a "a great player, high integrity. I can say
that we were not doing anything with intent."
At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Welker is 4 inches shorter and 20 pounds
lighter than Talib. Hes also wearing a special helmet to guard against
further head injury after missing the final month of the season with his
second concussion. Hes also never been known as a dirty player.
Patriots safety Steve Gregory said he didnt think Welker would
deliberately try to hurt a player, saying, "I dont think anybody plays
that way, especially at this level of football with two great football
teams in the Broncos and ourselves."
Blandino said he has spoken with Belichick this week about the play "and
obviously there is a difference of opinion there and something that
well continue to look at during the off-season."
___
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org
___
Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

Xavier Rhodes Vikings Jersey .
On one of the memorable European nights at Old Trafford, Van Persie
scored three times in a 27-minute span either side of halftime to
overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg. A slew of brilliant saves by
David de Gea were also key to a famous win for the English champions --
and a vital one for their manager, David Moyes. Chris Doleman Vikings Jersey .
Atletico Madrid also stayed perfect thanks to goals by Diego Costa in a
2-1 win against Osasuna, giving it 18 points, although Barcelona stay
top with its better goal differential.TSN Baseball Insider Steve
Phillips answers several questions each week. This week, topics cover
Brett Lawries move to second base, Masahiro Tanakas scorching start, the
next MLB commissioner and the epidemic of pitching injuries.
1. While moving Brett Lawrie to 2B gives the Blue Jays a better
offensive lineup the player is clearly unhappy making the move going as
far as saying hes not a fan of it to the media.  How much consideration
should a players happiness or wishes play into the GM or coach making
that kind of move or decision?
The mental part of baseball is often more important than the physical
part of the game.  The way a player feels often impacts how he performs,
however, it is difficult to predict how any single player will react to
a certain emotion.  Sometimes the same emotion can be motivating for
one player and paralyzing for another. 
I can understand how a player can be bothered by a position change. 
Ball players are creatures of habit.   They dont like change because it
makes them uncomfortable.  Brett Lawrie said, “I am a third baseman.” 
It is his identity.  Players are their position.  Lawrie needs to change
his view of his identity.  He is a Blue Jay not a third baseman.
I remember when I was GM for the Mets and we were considering moving
Mike Piazza from behind home plate to first base.  Ownership said, 
“Just move him.  We are paying him $13M per year and he should do what
he is told.”  I explained that we could do that, but we needed to treat a
star like Piazza with the appropriate respect.  If we wanted him to
perform, we needed him to buy into the change, plus, we didnt want a
controversy with our star because other players watch how you treat your
current players.  I told ownership that we needed to treat our stars
properly in order to lure other stars.
Brett Lawrie isnt a star.  He is “just a guy.”  He is a borderline
starter in the majors.  He is overrated.  Lawrie was hyped when he got
to the majors and had a very good quarter season in 2011, but he hasnt
lived up to the hype and has been a disappointment.
Seriously, he is complaining?
He should be grateful for the opportunities he continues to get from the
Jays.  He has no room to complain.  When I was with the Mets we moved
Edgardo Alfonzo from second base to third base when we acquired Robbie
Alomar from the Indians in 2002.  Alfonzo had been established as an
All-Star second baseman.  He was a bit reluctant, but ultimately
realized it was good for the team and moved. He had a heckuva lot more
right to be upset than Lawrie.  Lawrie is closer to being out of the
Majors than he is to being an All Star. 
If it were me, I would tell Lawrie that we are moving you to second base
and, if he has any gripes, I would option him to the minors and see how
he likes it.  If he gets mad, but keeps his mouth shut, maybe it will
help him.  As I said earlier, emotions arent all bad.  He hasnt yet
earned the right to be comfortable.  The major leagues are about
performance.
Be grateful you are a big leaguer Brett.
2. Will Yankees starter Masahiro Tanakas hot start be able to withstand a
second trip through the league when teams start making adjustments and
to the increased work load as he works his way into the season?
Masahiro Tanaka went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA in 2013 for the Tohoku Rakuten
Golden Eagles of the Japanese Professional League.  He led them to a
Japanese Professional Title, winning six more playoff games and
finishing the year 30-0.  So far this season, he is 6-0 with a 2.17
ERA.  He has a remarkable strikeout-to-walk ratio of 66:7 in 58 innings
pitched. 
He is a remarkable 36-0 over the past two years combined.  That is
unheard of.  No one is that good.  There is no way that he can maintain
this level of success.  No one can.  Can he?
Tanaka has extraordinary command and control of his pitches.  He shows
great poise on the mound.   He doesnt have an overpowering fastball, but
he has an overpowering ability to throw his pitches where he wants. He
is Greg Maddux-like in that way.  His out-pitch is different than
Maddux, as he uses a devastating split-finger fastball to put away
hitters. 
Tanaka has the ability to get hitters out with pitches in the strike
zone.  Many pitchers use a sequence of pitches with which they try and
expand the strike zone, ultimately throwing a pitch off of the plate to
get hitters to chase.  Tanaka can do that, but he has the confidence and
quality of stuff to also throw his well-located pitches in the strike
zone to retire hitters. 
Tanaka has movement, change of speeds, deception and the ability to
throw any pitch at any time in the count.  This is a tremendous formula
for success. 
The league will make some adjustments to him.  He will ultimately lose a
game or two, bbut the only real threat to him will be fatigue.  In
Japan, starters typically make only one start per week.  He is now
taking the mound every fifth day. At some point, this may present a
challenge. 
The Yankees have so much unpredictability this year but that certainly
doesnt include their #1 starter, Masahiro Tanaka.
3. What will the newly formed search committee be looking for in the
next MLB commissioner?
The search committee will be gathering ideas from all 30 teams while
overseeing the process of selecting a new commissioner. The seven-person
committee of owners/CEOs/chairman is as follows: Bill DeWitt
(Cardinals), Dick Monfort (Rockies), David Montgomery (Phillies), Arte
Moreno (Angels), Bob Nuttig (Pirates), Jim Pohlad (Twins) and Jerry
Reinsdorf (White Sox).
The Cardinals DeWitt, is serving as the chairman of the committee.
"Our committee will conduct a thorough, discreet process and ultimately
will provide guidance to the Executive Council on identifying a
successor," DeWitt said in a statement. "All of the parties involved
share the goal of acting in our games best interests…”
As the committee searches for candidates they are going to have to
consider the business of baseball more than ever. The game is losing its
luster and is trending old.  As baby boomers get older so do baseball
fans and as the world has evolved in the way that it consumes sports and
information in a quick-hitting, fast-paced way, baseball has gained a
perception of being slow and boring.
The next commissioner needs to find a way to engage the younger sports
fan.  He also needs to better market the games stars.  Baseball players
are rarely found on the most popular athletes lists.  Football and
basketball do a much better job in connecting the fans with their
players. 
Baseball needs a salary cap.  The union is staunchly against it, but the
long-term health of the game needs it.  The playing field needs to be
leveled to maintain the financial viability of its franchises. 
Baseball needs a change in perception.  Baseball has the toughest drug
testing program and penalties in all of sports, yet it is still
perceived to be soft on PEDs.  Because Bud Selig is perceived to be the
"Commissioner of the Steroid Era of Baseball," any new fface in the
office should change that perception. Michael Harris Vikings Jersey. .
So who are the candidates? -
George W. Bush, the former Texas Rangers owner and former President of
the United States.  President Bush understands the game and the owners. 
He also understands unions and the economy.
Rob Manfred, Executive Vice President MLB.  Manfred is Seligs right hand
man.  He is a Harvard Law School graduate and a brilliant man.  He has
been part of the last two collective bargaining negotiations with the
union and oversees Labor Relations and Human Recourse for MLB.
Andy McPhail, former executive for Twins, Cubs and Orioles.  His teams
won two World Series while he was with the Twins.  His father and
grandfather are both Hall of Famers.  He is a very well-respected
baseball lifer who is known for both his business and baseball acumen. 
David Dombrowski, current president and general manager of the Detroit
Tigers.  Dombrowski worked his way up the baseball ranks starting as an
administrative assistant for the White Sox in 1978.  He worked his way
to the top through the Expos, Marlin and Tigers.  He is the most highly
thought of executive in the game.  He is bright, mature, thoughtful and
talented.  He has great communication skills and treats people the right
way with a strong presence.  He has a thorough understanding of both
the baseball and business sides of operations. 
Bob Bowman, oversees the billion dollar business of MLB Advanced Media
which includes MLB.com and MLB.tv.  He is an aggressive, combative
business man who has a vision and the ability to execute it.  He gets
business, he gets baseball fans and he gets technology.  If owners truly
want to grow the industry and connect with fans, Bowman may be their
guy.  His style may rub some of the old guard the wrong way, but maybe
that is a good thing. 
Finally, Steve Phillips, former NY Mets general manager.  He may be
overqualified for the position but still worth consideration. He lives
in the proximity of New York City, understands the baseball and business
sides of the operations and has strong opinions about where the game
should go.  A major obstacle could be his unwillingness to give up his
weekly column on TSN.ca.
I am sure that more candidates will come to light over the next year. 
If I were picking today, I would vote for David Dombrowski of the
Detroit Tigers as he is respected by owners, general managers, the PA
and the media.  Not many other candidates can boast that clean sweep.
Wait...I didnt vote for myself! What am I thinking? 
4. So, I am officially ticked off.  Jose Fernandez of the Marlins and
Martin Perez of the Rangers are now the 18th and 19th MLB playersto need
Tommy John surgery this year alone.  There is all kinds of speculation
about the reasons for the glut of surgeries.  I have written about them
here in the past.  For each individual pitcher the reasons may be
different, but we have a pretty good idea about the list from which the
reasons come.
So why would any baseball coach anywhere believe that allowing a pitcher
to throw 194 pitches was acceptable?  This week media reports
documented a game of a high school pitcher in the state of Washington in
which a young man, Dylan Fosnacht, threw that 194 pitches in a game in
which he was allowed to pitch 14+ innings. 
This is criminal.
To make matters worse, the catcher in the game, Dustin Wilson caught all
17 innings of the game and then pitched all seven innings of the second
game of the doubleheader. 
The coach should be fired and I rarely, if ever, make statements like
that.  This is absurd.  An official with the Washington Interscholastic
Activities Association told reporters that the only rule they have about
pitch limits is that if a kid throws four or more innings in a day he
must be given two days off before pitching again.  Really???? So
Fosnacht could throw 194 pitches on Monday and another 194 on Thursday. 

Arm injuries are wear and tear injuries.  Even when they happen in an
acute way, they are from wear and tear.  If a pitcher throws a pitch in
the Majors and his ulna collateral ligament snaps in his arm, it is not
solely because of the pitch he threw that day, but a by-product of all
of the throwing he has done in his career. 
We can protect innings pitched and install strict pitch limits on MLB
pitchers, but guys will still break down.  Why?  Because they are
allowed to throw 194 pitches in a high school baseball game. 
Enough.  It is time for baseball associations, Leagues, conferences or
whatever groups are overseeing kids playing organized baseball to get
this issue under control.  Install pitch limits everywhere and at every
level.  Make sure that the boundaries that are in place are
comprehensive and clear. 
We have to protect kids against themselves.  If a coach asks a player if
he is ok after throwing 120 pitches, he will most likely say yes
because he doesnt want to disappoint the coach.   Protect the coach
against himself.  If he wants to win so badly that he is willing to risk
a kids health, then legislate it that he cant. 
Parents where are you?  My experience is that baseball parents are some
of the most meddling youth sports parents.  The number of dads (and
moms) who relive their youth through their kids baseball career is
astronomical.  Parents, you are at the games.  You are there watching. 
Advocate for your kids.  Hold the coaches accountable.  Sure, it may
mean a confrontation or a difficult conversation, but so what?  The risk
of not speaking up is significant. 
Youth football has started a campaign to educate coaches, parents and
kids about concussions.  They teach everyone what signs to look for. 
Coaches now have to attend clinics to teach proper form and technique to
better ensure health.  The childs well-being is made a priority. 
What are we waiting for in baseball?  We need to educate coaches,
parents and kids about what to look for with arm fatigue and injuries. 
We need to teach proper throwing techniques at a much younger age before
bad habits get formed.  Parents and coaches need to agree on what
appropriate pitch limits are for kids whether it is legislated from
their leagues or not.  There must be better communication between
coaches if players are playing in multiple leagues.  Parents need to get
involved to ensure the communication. 
There is a big difference between complaining to a coach about your sons
position or playing time and advocating for his health.  You are not
causing trouble by speaking about pitch counts and innings limits. 
I am speaking from experience on this.  There have been many times that I
should have spoken up sooner than I did.  Plus, my sons have told me at
times that their arms are sore and I told them to go out and give it a
try and see how it feels.  That was a mistake.  If a kids arm hurts, he
shouldnt pitch or throw.
Pitch limits and pitch counts in the major leagues can help, but they
are only putting a bandage on wounds that may be decades old from abuse
at the youth level. 
It is time to speak up!!!!

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